


Witch Queen

by Natasi (SwordDraconis113)



Series: Witchery [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, implied Red Riding Hood/Snow White
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 04:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordDraconis113/pseuds/Natasi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shutting her eyes, she listened for anything odd in the woods, her ears almost twitching in the strain to hear.</p><p>“There’s no need for that, little wolf.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Witch Queen

The air was filled with the songs of birds, even wolves could be heard stalking prey in the distant trees if one was to listen hard enough. And listening came easy to Red, she spent most of her life just listening to her surroundings.

Humming an old tune, she picked up the split log, placing it on top of the pile she’d collected in her arms. It was becoming warmer but winter spells still crept up in the early spring evenings and it was best to be prepared for a healthy fire. Tonight, she expected with the bright cloudless day, would be ghastly cold after all the heat escaped into the evening sky.

Snow was out, traveling to the village a few hills over, to trade handmade items for food and materials to make clothes. Their cabin so far was relatively sparse but Red prided herself in its warmth and homeyness. It wasn’t the same as Granny’s cabin, but it was still home.

And maybe, one day, she could return to Granny’s.

Maybe.

The woods became silent and Red froze, as she remained bent over to pick up the sticks beneath the large, leafless tree. The birds had stopped their midday song and not even a hunting wolf could be heard skulking around the area. It was as if they all had sensed an unsettling new presence in the woods.

Shutting her eyes, she listened for anything odd in the woods, her ears almost twitching in the strain to hear.

“There’s no need for that, little wolf.”

Red turned, teeth baring as she dropped her pile of logs and sticks to the ground. With a flick of her hand, Regina turned the mess into a neat pile against the large tree beside Red. 

“Regina,” Red said lowly, her shoulders hunched, knees loose and ready to pounce. It wasn’t a full moon, nor was it night. But she  didn’t care if had her wolven advantage for a fight. This was Regina. _Snow’s_ Regina. Not hers…

Not as she had thought.

“Little wolf,” Regina returned, amused by the hostility. “It’s been two winters since we last met, but I do believe we parted on quite pleasant terms.” Red’s hands balled into fists before she slowly unclenched them, still ready to lunge at Regina.

“You’re trying to kill Snow.”  At the name, Regina’s face twisted into loathing before she masked it behind a mild air of disdain. 

“That is a problem.” Looking away, she ran her eyes over the woods, “is your _dear_ friend nearby?” she mocked, looking back to Red. 

“She’s not.”

“Where is she?”

“Not here.”

Regina’s eyebrow raised, a slow smirk forming over her lips. “Does she know of our last meeting? How eager you were to-”

“Yes.” Red’s teeth bit over the words, her brow, however, shook under Regina’s scrutinizing stare. When the burgundy lips only widened into a grin, Red knew she was caught. “She wouldn’t care if I did tell her.”

“Then why haven’t you told her?”

“It...it didn’t matter. I didn’t know you were the Queen. I had thought you were just a witch because of how you had dressed.” Her eyes ran over the deep red and black dress the witch-queen wore now. The boots were hidden under the skirts, but the jacket, the corset, even the hair. Now, she looked every inch the dark royalty. Perhaps the situation had changed and she’d come to embrace her nature more-so now?

Perhaps it was just chance meeting that Red caught her in her witchy state.

“If you’re looking for Snow, she won’t be here for a while. So you might as well just leave.”

“Perhaps I didn’t come here in search of _dear_ Snow White. Perhaps I came here for you.” Red recoiled at her words, almost tripping over the pile of wood. Her arms hugged herself only briefly before she dragged them down by her sides. She wasn’t the little girl Regina had met in the woods. Not anymore.

“What did you come for?”

“I could possible have come for your heart.” She stepped forward with her words. “I did promise that I would, eventually, return for it.” With each word, she stepped closer to Red until the young girl was pressed against the tree, the queen only inches from her. “Are you afraid little wolf?”

“No.”

“Liar.” 

Red swallowed, holding Regina’s eyes steady. “You won’t hurt me,” she whispered. “If you wanted to, you would have already, or…or last time.”

“Maybe I’m only cruel when I’m bored,” she returned. Lifting a hand, she removed a black velvet glove, and pressed her finger tips over Red’s heart. “I could remove your heart, squeeze it until it’s dust and watch you die.” 

Red shook her head defiantly. “You won’t.”

“And why not?”

“Because…” 

An eyebrow arched, waiting for an answer. Red licked her lips, her teeth running over the tongue as it recoiled back into her mouth. She could hear Regina’s heart beat, steady beneath her winter dress. She could also see her pulse beating where her throat was exposed above the black lace collar. Regina wasn’t afraid, or excited like her. She was mastered calmness.

“I’m of interest to you,” she spoke softly. “You called me ‘little wolf’. You always knew what I was, even before I did.”

“A child of the moon is indeed special, but it’s nothing _rare_.”

A pang struck its mark from the purposeful insult. Avoiding her eyes, Red looked down at the bramble growing beside her feet. “Then why were you in my village’s woods?” she asked her. “There’s nothing of interest there and it’s a fair distance from your kingdom.”

Regina’s lips curled, her head tilting to look over Red’s form. “I was curious.”

“And you didn’t think I was special?”

“Feeling self-conscious?” she asked, “Afraid that the kiss meant nothing for me?”

Red flushed, shaking her head as she felt herself slowly become the babbling girl she’d been two winters ago. “No! No, I just meant that-”

The queen’s laugh filled the air, rolling over Red. Quietly, she shut her jaw, clenching it as shame seemed to sink her feet into the dirt and hold her stiffly against the tree. Of course she was nothing but a little girl, to the queen. The only one who ever saw her as perfectly normal and extraordinary all at once, was Snow.

It was only as the smell of wood fire and flowers filled her nose did feel how close Regina was to her. A still-velvet hand steadied against the tree beside Red’s neck, the other, ungloved, settled fingertips over Red’s stomach until she could feel the familiar hot honey liquid spilling into her belly and flowing over her limbs.

“Am I special?” Red asked. 

“To me or in a more general sense?”

“I--” she paused, swallowing back the question, too afraid of the answer. Her eyes flicked to Regina’s, watching them blaze. “Why do you want to kill Snow?”

The eyes dilated and turned furious. Red pressed closer to tree’s trunk, feeling her throat swallow against the dryness. She could feel the bark clenched beneath her fingers as the queen suddenly towered over her. “Did she not tell you?” Regina asked, hissing the question between clenched teeth.

“No.”

“Perhaps she should. I would like to hear what she thinks her crime was.”

Red blinked dully, her throat closing around any further words she had to say. All she could see was the twisted mask Regina wore, her lips pulled back enough to show the snarl. Desperately, the young wolf flickered between the dark eyes, feeling her own heart pounding faster than Regina’s angry beat.

“I’m sorry.”

Regina flinched, pulling away. “Sorry?” she spat, “why are _you_ sorry?”

“It’s not my place to ask. I shouldn’t have asked. I-I should go. I’m sorry, Regina.” Grabbing her shoulders, the queen pinned her to the trunk, pressing the length of her body against her. Shivering, Red squirmed, unable to push her away as she looked over her shoulder, to opposing directions, anywhere that wasn’t the furious, burning eyes. “I’m sorry!” she said again. “Just...just let me go, and I’ll leave. I won’t bother you again.”

“I came to you, little wolf,” Regina spoke, sparking a flush from ear-to-ear on the young wolf, “Not the other way around. Don’t you remember?”

Red blinked rapidly, sniffing as Regina pulled her head back to look at her frightened feature. “I...I do.”

“So you don’t need to apologize.”

“Will you let me go?” she pleaded. 

Regina chuckled, shaking her head. “Why are you afraid?” she asked instead, a mocking frown pulling at the corner of her lips. “Do you think I might rip your heart heart, just to see your little friend cry?”

“You’re angry,” Red whispered. “I don’t know what you will do. It scares me.”

“Are you _only_ scared, little wolf?” 

Red paused, her tongue thick and heavy as she stared into the eyes. Anger receded to let something just at hot and blazing dilate the eyes. All Red could feel was her heart beating as she breathed out heavy breaths. 

It was enough for Regina, she stole the last gasp of air between them and crushed her lips against Red’s. Her teeth gnashed and pulled at the bottom lip as she dug her fingers through the shoulder of Red’s spring-made dress, to bruise the skin underneath. Her nails tugged and ripped down the sleeve, grabbing at her wrists to pin them against the tree.

Biting down on the lip between her teeth, she felt Red gasp before pushing her tongue into the woman’s mouth. She wanted pain, she wanted anger and lust to cloud her so completely that it would ruin the perfect blue skies and create a thunderstorm high above.

Red’s hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed, throwing Regina away from her. With the back of her hand, she wiped at her mouth and glared at the queen. “You don’t get to kiss me like that!” she told her, “You don’t get to take away that last kiss we had with this one! I won’t let you.”

Regina chuckled, adjusting her red skirts as she ran a thumb under her lip, tidying the smudged make-up. “I do what I like, dear. I’m the queen.”

“You’re not _my_ queen.” Red’s hands clenched by her sides as she stepped forward. “I thought you were nice, I thought you were _good_ and that maybe, maybe Snow didn’t understand, didn’t see things from your point of view. Maybe it was all one big misunderstanding. But you’re just mean, and hurtful. You hurt others to make yourself feel better. Good people don’t do that.”

Again, Regina laughed, shaking her head. “I never claimed to be good.” 

Red shook her head, hands coming to fold in front of her as she looked away. She had enough, “Why are you here Regina. Why did you take whatever good there was and taint it?”

“Do you really remember it as good?” she asked. Her feet stepped forward, but Red refused to let herself move backwards. “Do you remember it as _sweet_ and _kind_ ,” she mocked. 

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth!”

“Then what did it feel it like? Did it feel cold, wet, was it soft and sweet? Did it make you shake in your little boots?” Red didn’t answer, her jaw tight as she remembered the kiss. “Tell me how you felt.”

“No.”

“Tell me.”

“How about you tell me how it felt for you!” she pushed instead, glaring at the queen “Was it sweet or sour? Was I sloppy and horrid and you wanted to kiss me again to lose the bad taste in your mouth?” Flashing she pushed forward, satisfied as the queen almost took one back. “Tell me how it felt when my tongue was in your mouth and I was just an unkissed girl, unaware of her wolf.”

“Kiss me again and I’ll tell you,” the queen whispered, her lips smirking a devilish intention.

Red held her eyes, her heart racing in a single beat. She almost nodded, almost gave _permission_ for another kiss before she took herself. Her flat shoes lifting onto her toes, hands sliding over the jaw to hold her steady and quickly kiss her again. 

It wasn’t sweet, but a hand wrapped around the base of Regina’s neck, her eyes squeezing shut to give every ounce of warmth inside of her to _this_ woman to make her understand, make her feel what the kiss had felt to her across two winter lifetimes. 

She felt fingers on her shoulder, squeezing before slipping down her forearm. One of her own, still cupping Regina’s jaw slid down to her shoulder, down her arm until she was lacing it around the dark, silk dress and pulling her in closer. When she pulled away, the kiss still soft and slow on her lips, she looked into the woman’s eyes with a soft smile.

“What did it taste like?” she asked.

Regina didn’t answer, her lips parted in question before she pulled away. Turning around she took a moment to adjust herself, allowing the regal attire to act as a defining costume before she turned back around to the little wolf.

“it’s a shame,” she said softly, her voice not yet laced in _Evil Queen_. Red could still hear her Snow Witch in the words. 

“What’s a shame?” she asked her.

“That you’re friends with Snow. I would have liked to keep you.”

“I’m not yours to keep,” Red returned. “Regina, you don’t have to-”

She stepped back, eyes sharpening at young wolf. “Don’t,” was all she said. But Red heard the words, her own echoed back. _Don’t take away what we just had._  

Smiling bitterly, she nodded, hating how this would again end with Regina leave. Swallowing her pride, she slowly took a step forward again. “Kiss me again.”

“Why?”

“Kiss me goodbye.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Just kiss me goodbye. Does there have to be a reason for everything?” Regina tilted her head oddly at Red before she stepped forward and kissed her again. It was soft, chaste and before she could pull away completely, or Red could grab her wrist to make her stay, there was cloud of purple, and she was gone.

Only the scent of woodfire remaining on tingling lips.


End file.
